Elon Musk is sending two wannabe astronauts on a trip around the moon VERY soon

For Elon Musk’s innovative company SpaceX, even the sky isn’t the limit.

In a world first announcement, SpaceX is planning to send two private citizens (i.e. two regular ol’ chums who don’t work at NASA) on a trip around the moon next year.

SpaceX will work with NASA to send the unnamed pair on the incredibly exxy trip. A key aspect of this partnership will give NASA use of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon (Dragon Version 2) spacecraft four times a year, which will send food and crew members to the International Space Station.

SpaceX’s unveiling of the Crew Dragon (Dragon Version 2) spacecraft

Although no specific dates are known yet, the 2018 circumnavigation will take off from Kennedy Space Center’s historic Pad 39A near Cape Canaveral. SpaceX appears to be incredibly optimistic about this development, saying in a statement “like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration”.

If the entire plan sounds crazy to you, it is. If it makes you wonder whether you could be next, given that you’re also a regular non-NASA shmuck, you definitely can’t. At least not next year.

These private citizens are rolling in enough dough to pay for a trip to the moon. It’s a “significant deposit”, according to SpaceX. They’ll also be required to undergo rigorous testing, like any astronaut. Additionally, even though the spacecraft will be controlled remotely, the private citizens may be required to take control of the Dragon spacecraft in an emergency.